Patients that are incontinent and confined to a bed present obvious problems to nurses and other care givers. Many times, the patient cannot sufficiently control bodily functions to forewarn the attending care giver to provide assistance such as bedpans or other waste collection systems. The results are usually an embarrassment for the patient and the requirement for the expenditure of substantial time and effort on the part of the care giver to clean both the patient and the bed. Such events necessitate, at the least, changing the bedding, and perhaps even the mattress. The time expended in such cleaning operations greatly increases the expense of the care facility and the cost to the patient. Further, the unpleasant cleaning task has demoralizing effects on the patient and makes it difficult for the care facility to retain competent care givers.